In recent years, energy policy initiatives in Chile have focused on promoting energy sufficiency and sustainability. In this context, legislative changes have been made to introduce and deploy non-conventional renewable energies (ERNC), within which the mini-hydro (power below 20 MW) has great potential in Chile.
These legislative strategies have been aimed at perfecting the Chilean regulatory framework, aiming to consider the particularities of the ERNCs in their incorporation into the electricity market and systems, for which a number of laws have been promulgated to favor the growth of this sector. The following initiatives: Reducing transmission fees in the trunk system (Law 19.940 of March 2004 – 芦Ley Corta禄); Regulation of non-conventional means of generation (Decree 244 of September 2005); Modification of the General Law of Electric Services introducing the obligation to gradually provide up to 10% of ERNC by major electric systems (Law 20,257 of March 2008); Creation of the Renewable Energy Center (March 2009); Creation of a division of ERNC in the Ministry of Energy (Law 20,402 of November 2009).
These initiatives, coupled with the implementation of direct support instruments that mitigate specific barriers to compete on an equal footing, have made the Chilean hydroelectric sector one of the highest growth potential in the Americas.
In this area, ERH Consult is providing the Chilean promoters MINICENTRALES HIDROEL脡CTRICAS Lda and RIUBLAU INVERSIONES, Spa, its services for the analysis of the hydroelectric potential of different basins, with the ultimate objective of developing those hydroelectric projects that present a greater interest from the Financial point of view.
The tasks developed by ERH Consult range from hydrological analysis to the integral development of the project, through feasibility analysis, administrative processing, development of basic and detail engineering, construction bidding, supply analysis, construction management, etc.
